The federal government will match up to $4 million in donations made by Canadians to support earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela, expanding Canada’s humanitarian response following the devastating earthquakes that struck the country last week.
Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced that Ottawa will match donations made to the Canadian Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition, with up to $2 million allocated to each organization. The matching program applies to donations made between June 25 and July 14.
The announcement comes after a pair of powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela just 39 seconds apart last Wednesday. Venezuelan officials say the disaster has claimed more than 1,700 lives, while a 4.6-magnitude aftershockshook the already devastated La Guaira state on Monday.
Sarai said Canadians have shown strong support for those affected by the disaster and that the matching initiative will help humanitarian organizations deliver urgently needed assistance.
The funds will be used to provide essential supplies and services, including food, shelter, medicine, clothing and other emergency necessities through Canadian aid organizations working on the ground.
The donation-matching program is in addition to the $5 million in humanitarian assistance announced by the federal government last week. According to Global Affairs Canada, that funding has already helped secure more than 5,700 emergency relief items, including food assistance, clean water, sanitation, health care services, protection support and logistics for affected communities.
Canadian officials emphasized that the humanitarian assistance will be delivered through aid organizations and will not be provided to Venezuela’s government.
Despite the scale of the disaster, Sarai expressed confidence that Venezuelan communities will recover with international support, noting that natural disasters often hit vulnerable populations the hardest but also reveal remarkable resilience as communities work together to rebuild.
Canada’s combined response now includes $5 million in direct humanitarian assistance alongside up to $4 million in matched public donations, potentially bringing its total contribution to $9 million for earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela.
